Writing a media release

1. A short, clear but thought-provoking title is important.

2. Use clear and simple language in the body of the press release. Use short sentences, good grammar and get straight to the point.

3. It’s great to be creative but don’t go overboard. The journalist needs to know what the story is in the first two sentences.

4. Pick a few main points. Don’t try to cram everything into the release. Hopefully the journo will be interested enough to call you and you can tell them more information.

5. The media release shouldn’t be longer than one page. The second page will only get lost and the journalist won’t read that far anyway.

6. Use quotes from the people involved in the action e.g. the co-ordinator (probably yourself) and a person who is affected by your action. This enables print mediums to write up a story straight away without contacting you. You may like the quotes to say how terrible a problem is, how important taking action is and what difference your solution will make. Make up the quotes yourself but check them with the person you’re crediting to make sure they agree and see if there’s anything more they’d like to say.

7. Use figures if they add relevance to your story, e.g. how many people experience the issue you’re talking about.

8. Check your spelling and grammar! A journalist can’t be expected to take your action seriously if you don’t make the effort to get things right.

9. Include all relevant details especially if you are informing the media of an upcoming event. It should say exactly where and exactly when an event will happen, as well as who will be there, what they’ll be saying and what they’ll be doing, e.g. cutting a ribbon, staging a protest etc.

10. Include your contact details and make sure you’re available. You should leave at least one phone number but may also want to include an email address and an additional phone number. You may like to consider including the contact details of anyone else quoted in the media release too, but check with them first.

This content was written by Jayne Stinson, an ABC television and radio journalist and a Youth Ambassador for Reachout! in the Northern Territory.